Chicago Film Office director Rich Moskal said that was a 45 percent increase over 2011, and also resulted in the best ever total in local economic spending from TV and movie productions.

“Our estimates range somewhere in the neighborhood of $170 million in terms of local spending, and that’s based on hiring of local crew people, local actors, goods and services from local businesses,” he said. “Those are direct dollars straight into Chicago’s local economy.”

Moskal said some TV pilots were being filmed in Chicago in April or recently completed filming, including an ABC show called “Doubt.”

“Two others that are currently shooting are ‘Betrayal’ and ‘Influence,’ and we also just finished production on ‘Sirens,’ that Denis Leary is an executive producer on,” he said.

The ongoing NBC show “Chicago Fire” is still shooting its first season in Chicago, and will be back for next season.

Even though a number of Chicago-based shows have been cancelled – including Fox’s “The Mob Doctor,” Starz network’s “Boss,” and MTV’s “Underemployed” – Moskal said Chicago continues to be a popular location for filming.

“It’s a gamble in terms of what’s gonna stick as a full-time series, and what’s gonna get pulled off the air,” he said. “The fact that we get repeat business from all these various networks – Fox, NBC, ABC – all of them keep bringing other projects back, which is a good indication for us.”

Already in prison for the murder of his third wife, former Bolingbrook cop Drew Peterson on Tuesday pleaded not guilty to charges he tried to hire a hitman to kill the prosecutor who put him behind bars.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel threw cold water on the Chicago Cubs’ request to begin working on Wrigley Field renovations around the clock, after cold winter weather significantly delayed construction of new bleachers.

After “48 Hours” uncovered evidence that casts doubt on the verdict that sent a teacher to prison for the death of a 16-month-old boy, the Lake County Coroner was calling for authorities to reopen the case.

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